Sophia Marion Vianco (1856-1941) Escaped the Poor Farm, Thanks to a Widow's Civil War Pension

Johann Gottfried Hauer (John Godfrey Howard) Family Line

Sophia Marion Vianco (1856-1941)
____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

Studying these wonderful people who come into our family tree by marriage are sometimes the most gratifying. I don't know how the Vader family, the Viancos, the Pecks, and the Howards all knew each other exactly, but they did, and their lines were so linked together in New York.

Sophia Vianco was born 19 Jan 1856 to William Jerome Vianco and Anna Maria Van Houghton in Rochester, New York. I can't find a death certificate for her mother, Anna Maria, but she died in September that same year. 

William next married Anna Maria's sister, Julia Van Houghton. I can't find records for either of these marriages. With Julia, William would go on to have 6 children: George, Helen, Carrie, Julia, William, and Grace. Shortly after the birth of Grace, the mom Julia died in 1874. Sophia was around 17 when this occurred, and it fell to her to take care of her brothers and sisters.

In the 1850 census, William Vianco was listed as a teamster, which, at that time, was a person who drove a team of animals. This could be compared to the modern day truck driver.  By the time of the 1870 census, though, William was a railroad engineer. As such, it would be his job to drive the train engine and to make sure all his equipment was in tip-top shape at all times. Along with the engineer, a fireman also rode in the engine, whose job it was to handle the fire that made the steam. The conductor rode in the caboose. His job was to manage the day-to-day operations. This was important, because this is how William died at the age of 52. He was involved in a serious accident that crushed the engine, and both he and the fireman were killed instantly. This occurred in 1875 when Sophia was 19. All the children at the time of their dad's death lived with him in the same house, all seven of them. And now, it landed squarely onto Sophia and her brother, George, to be the caregivers for their siblings. Then Carrie, aged 15, died in 1878. Three important deaths occurred in the family in just a short amount of time. There were now only the six children left.

In the 1880 census, the children all lived together at 104 Hudson Street in Rochester, New York. I feel like this has to be their parent's home, but I have no documentation that it was. George was listed first on the census, even though at 21, he was younger than Sophia, who was 24. George was a railroad engineer! Good for George following in his father's footsteps! Sophia's occupation was "keep house." Helen, aged 19, was "at home." The three youngest, Julia, Willie, and Grace were "at school."

Sophia stayed single until she was 27, marrying Henry Morton Sweet 08 May 1883. He was also an engineer with the railroad, who lived nearby, and he probably made many visits to the Vianco home at 104 Hudson Street. He himself lived at 83 Hudson Street. The wedding announcement stated that the couple were married at her mother's house, but her mother had passed many years now, and her stepmother also was gone. It is known that Sophia's father had a third wife, Louise Gibson, who lived close to the children, but this woman is a mystery to me, to Ancestry, and to Newspapers.com. I wonder if the couple were married in the home on Hudson, and the newspapers, thinking it had to be her parent's home and just printed it like that. Who knows. It stated in the announcement that the couple were departing on an eastern wedding tour. I wonder what that meant exactly.

Sophia and Henry had a daughter together, born 31 Jan 1884, Annie or Emma or Amy or Mortina Sweet. Find-a-Grave says Mortina. Her wedding announcement said Anna, and the census record of 1900 said Emma.

Unfortunately, Henry died of typhoid fever 21 May 1884. This was according to his death announcement found on Newspapers.com. Sophia must have felt utterly lost. Henry was 22. Sophia was 28 and with a newborn. In the 1885 city directory, she was listed as a widow, and a boarder at 16 Woodbury, not far from Hudson Street.

Now here's where things get a little unusual. Eleazer Howard, who was 51 years old and recently widowed, somehow got 31-year-old Sophia and her daughter to come to him in Sherwood, Michigan, and marry him. Eleazer was a Civil War vet who suffered with a debilitating hip injury that worsened over time. This is how we know, though, without a doubt that the Michigan Howards kept their ties close to the New York families. Another indicator was that he had given his youngest son with first wife Julia Vader, "Vianco" as a middle name. I really doubt he did this in honor of Sophia. It was probably more to honor one of the male members of the Vianco family, but I don't know that for sure. After his wife Julia Vader's death, Eleazer was married to Sophia in just a few month's time, 04 Jul 1887. Two years later, Sophia and Eleazer had a little girl together, Florence M. Howard.

I wasn't going to get my late father's records down from the closet, because I thought it would be a difficult task. However, due to a discrepancy on Find-A-Grave, and we needed proof to clarify a particular fact, I got the box down from my closet's top shelf. This was an excellent decision, because I learned from those records that in 1890, Eleazer filed for an invalid pension from his time in the Civil War. The pension stated he could no longer earn a living from manual labor, and that he had "catarrh, injury of hip, disease of head, throat and back and general debility." He was granted the pension.

In 1891, Elias's eldest son with Julia Vader, Fremont Howard, was killed in a train accident. The train he was working in hit a passenger train. Fremont, who was the brakeman, was killed that day along with the fireman and the engineer. The passenger train had been a new addition to the rails that day, and the engineer failed to make enough time and room for it to pass.

Thirteen years after their marriage, Sophia and Eleazer, on the 1900 census record, were still in Sherwood, Michigan. Sophia's daughter, Mortina, listed as "Emma Sweet" was 16. Sophia's daughter with Eleazer, Florence Howard, was 11. In this census, Eleazer was listed as a farmer, who owned his own farm, free and clear of any mortgage. And that's another reason I'm so glad I pulled the records. Eleazer didn't do any labor on this farm. He rented it out. We would not have known that just from the census.

In the 1905 New York State Census, Sophia and Eleazer were listed in Clarkson, New York! What a change in just 5 years. Sophia was 49 and Eleazer was 69. Their daughter, Florence, was listed with them, aged 15, but Sophia's other daughter, Mortina, was not with them, and I can't find her, either. She didn't get married until 1911, but she was 21 by this time, so it's possible she was at college or away teaching school. Or it could be that she was still in Michigan, which had no 1905 state census. (The 1904 Michigan State Census was statistical only.) In the 1910 census, Mortina was with two of Sophia's sisters, her aunts, and was a schoolteacher in Rochester, New York. Florence's occupation in 1905 was "at school."

On 09 Mar 1906, Eleazer died, leaving Sophia a widow for the second time. According to the death certificate, his cause of death was cerebral hemorrhage. He died in Clarkson, New York, but he was buried in Michigan. According to my father's papers, Sophia got Eleazer's Civil War pension, so she was going to be okay financially. After reading through all these pension documents, though, I learned that she wasn't as well off as I had once thought she was. The important thing was that she got the pension. And not only that, I believe Sophia was a caring individual. I'm sure she took very good care of Eleazer as his disabilities became more and more severe.

Sophia lastly married George Webster, who went by his middle name of Henry. He was a widower himself.  They were married 12 Jan 1910, and, of course, she lost Eleazer's pension after their marriage. In the 1910 census, Henry was a farmer in Clarkson, New York, who owned his own farm, free and clear of a mortgage. Eleazer and Sophia's daughter, Florence, lived with them. She was 20 now and her occupation was "none." That's a bit of a red flag.

In the 1915 New York State Census, Sophia and Henry are listed by themselves and still in Clarkson. He, at the age of 65, was still listed as a farmer. Sophia was 59. Sophia's daughter with Eleazer is also in Clarkson, living with her husband Percival Walsh and their newborn, Howard. I wonder if this was in memory of her father, Eleazer Howard. Sophia’s daughter, Mortina, who in this census went by Amy, was with her husband, Harry Duryea, along with their daughter. They lived in Pittsford, New York.

In the 1920 U.S. Federal Census, everything is the same, except Sophia and Henry are both five years older. Everything *seems* okay with daughter Florence. She and her husband were in Hamlin, New York, with their children. He was listed as a farm laborer. Mortina was back to using the name Mortina again and was with her husband still in Pittsford, along with their daughter. Her husband, Henry, was a lawyer. She was a schoolteacher in a public school.

On 27 Apr 1923, Henry died and Sophia was widowed for a third time. She moved in with her sister, Grace, and her husband, Warren Johnson, on Stone Road in Charlotte, New York. My late father's records contains a letter written to "The Commissioner of Pensions at Washing, [sic] D.C." It reads:

Dear Sir, I have been told by persons who should know, that I am entitled [to] receive a pension. So I am writing to you asking you to send me suitable blanks to fill out.

My Husband Eleazer B. Howard died on the 6th day of March in the year 1906. Previous to his death he had been drawing a pension from the government having served for a time in the Civil War. After his death, I drew a pension until the time of my marriage to Mr. G.H. Webster, which occurred on January 12th, 1910.

Mr. Webster died on the 27th day of April 1923.

Mr. Howard served with a regimens from Detroit.

Was living in the town of Clarkson, N.Y. at the time of his death. I have been informed that I am entitled to receive the pension. Will you please send the blanks to me.

Address to: Sophia M. Webster, Stone Road, Charlotte, N.Y., care of W. E. Johnson. 

She must have been stewing and who can blame her? The penalty for not having a home to live in at that time was to be sentenced to life at a poor farm. This was not an individual's choice. It was a movement sweeping through the United States to try to force out poverty. It was a gruesome sentence for anyone. Fortunately, the government did send her the proper forms, and she was able to resume her pension from Eleazer for $40/month until the time of her death. 

In a 1929 Rochester City Directory, Sophia was living at 144 Ravine. In the 1930 United States Federal Census, Sophia rented a home and her daughter, Florence, was also there, at 85 Kay Terrace in Rochester. This may have been a duplex situation, as it also showed a woman at the same address by the name of Eileen Pockett. Eileen and Sophia were both listed as "head."

Why was Florence there, though, and why wasn't she with her husband and children? Because her husband had been placed in the State Hospital for the Insane there in Rochester. Florence and Percival's eldest son was with another family.  Their eldest daughter was in a state run school; she was still there in the 1950 census. Their other daughter was with an aunt, and their youngest son was in an orphanage, the Hillside Home for Children. That's some heavy stuff there. Click on photos to enlarge

Sophia's final home
28 Portsmouth Terrace, Rochester, NY
Courtesy Google Maps with proper attribution given

In the 1940 census, it listed daughter Florence's 1935 address as "Rural Monroe." No matter. By the 1940 census, she was at the poor farm in Brighton, New York. Sophia lived in a home that's sort of a precursor to the modern-day nursing home, living with other older folks and having a caregiver. I think she did well to get placed there, and it certainly was because she had that pension. Otherwise, she would have probably landed in the same place Florence did. Another document in my father's records stated that by 1940, poor Sophia was nearly blind and was afflicted by "impaired locomotion."

Florence died 25 Jul 1941 at the poor farm. Sophia died 30 Sep 1941 at 28 Portsmouth Terrace at the age of 85. She had just received her pension check for the month that same day and was actually still alive when it came in the mail. Her daughter, Mortina, who was with her, dutifully sent it back, but then requested that the money be sent back to her. It was, after all, legally hers, and she did get it back, in the end.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

Julius Vader (1830-1918) Store Owner, Postmaster, Farmer

 Johann Gottfried Hauer (John Godfrey Howard) Family Line

Julius Vader (1830-1918) Store Owner, Postmaster, Farmer
____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

Julius Vader was born 31 Mar 1830 in Dale, New York, the son of Tobias Vader and Anna Sutphen. Unfortunately, he is not related to me by blood that I can find, as he was the brother-in-law of my 3rd great-granduncle. Our forebear, John Godfrey Howard, had a son, Elias, who married Katie Vader, Julius' sister. Interestingly, these two children, Katie and Julius, were 12 years apart in age; Katie was born in 1817 and Julius in 1830. Katie and Julius had two other siblings, Cornelius, born 1819, and one other that I have yet to find, which might be Louisa, who is with Tobias on the 1850 census.

The first record to mention Julius by name was the 1850 United States Federal Census. Interestingly, he had already, at the age of 20, started out on his own, living in Stafford, New York, with the Hoag family. He was listed as a peddler, which would be correct, and it may be how he got his start with the general store. His recently widowed father, Tobias, lived in nearby Bethany, New York. Both of these towns are just south of Lake Ontario. The 1850 census was done in October. Julius married Julia Ann Nichols in December that same year.  On the census, Julius was on page 7; Julia, along with her family, were on page 8.

Julius and Julia had three children: Cyrus, who died in childhood; Allie, who was born in 1858; and Frank, who was born in 1860.

In the U.S. Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedule, 1860, Julius Vader was listed. He had 29 acres of improved land, and his farm was valued at $1,160 with $50 in equipment. He had 3 horses, 2 cows, and 3 pigs. In the 1860 Federal Census, he was listed as a farm laborer, not yet a store owner. Perhaps contradicting what the Non-Population Schedule had stated, his farm was valued at $450, and his personal worth $300. Listed with him on this census was his wife, Julia, and daughter, Allie. Their son, Cornelius, had already died, and Frank had not yet been born. They were in Bethany at this time, but they would soon move to nearby Middlebury, New York. Although Julius was enrolled in the draft June 1863, we have no records of him fighting on the side of the Union.

In the U.S. Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedule, 1870, Julius was still in Middlebury. He had 41 acres of improved land, valued at $1500 with $90 in equipment.  He had 2 horses, 1 cow, 23 sheep, and 2 pigs. In the 1870 Federal Census, Julius was a farmer with a farm valued at $1500. His wife, Julia, was listed as "keeping house," and his father, Tobias, was living with them. That's nice to see, and it's also nice that the census enumerator put his occupation as "retired farmer" instead of "none." Allie, aged 12, and Frank, aged 9, are there with the family, too, both attending school.

Julius Vader appeared in the 1874 New York State Business Directory under "country store" for Dale and Middlebury. I don't know exactly when Julius was appointed postmaster, but it makes sense in that he had the store. His father, Tobias, died in 1875.

In the 1880 Federal Census, Julius was listed as a grocer and Julia as "keeping house." Allie was gone from the household, having married James Loren Smith. Their son, Frank, however, was still with them, married to Flora Loomis. Frank was listed as a grocer. Flora as "keeping house."

In 1897, Julius's sister, Katy, died. Apparently the funeral was pretty large, according to her obituary, and all of her children, save for one, came to the funeral. Julius and the fam were at her funeral as well.

In the 1900 census, Julius was still listed as a grocer, and that is correct. He did not retire until 1910, according to a wedding anniversary announcement in the newspaper in 1913. In 1900, Julius and Julia were empty nesters. He was 70, and she was 69. This census shows that they had 3 children with 2 living. That is correct. Allie and Frank were both out of the home by this time. Ten years later, in the 1910 census, they were still pretty much the same. The enumerator listed him as a "retired merchant," which is nice. It shows value and worth in the eyes of the enumerator and of Julius, that his occupation wasn't listed as "none." Unlike his wife, Julia. Her occupation was listed as "none," and we know that's a bunch of hooey. Click on photos to enlarge

Buffalo Sunday News
28 Dec 1913
Fair Use/Public Domain

I'm sure it was a very sad day when Julia passed at the age of 84. Her date of death was 29 Sep 1914.  I imagine she was at her daughter's house when she died. In the 1915 census, Julius was living with his daughter and her husband, which is why I came to that conclusion. The only "old folks home" in Wyoming County was the poor farm and Julius and family were far from poor.

Julius wasn't exactly having it, though. He married the widow Chloe Vanderheyden in 1916 at the age of 86. She was 77. They may have continued living with daughter Allie, though, but I don't know. I do know that, according to his obit, he died at his daughter's home. The year was 1918. Spanish influenza pandemic. I'm guessing that's what finally took the old man out. The obit states that "on account of the influenza, the funeral was held at the home of his daughter." Having lived through a pandemic myself, the article really doesn't make it clear, does it? Were they not gathering because of the influenza, or did he die from it? I suspect both, but I don't know for sure. Pre-pandemic, I admit that I would've read that much differently.

Julius died 26 Nov 1918 at the age of 88. His second wife, Chloe, died 14 Aug 1921. They are both buried in the Dale Cemetery in Dale, New York. Julius was buried with his first wife, Julia. Chloe was buried with her first husband, Daniel.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

Rainie Edwin Howard (1884-1957) Son of the Poor Orphan Boy

 Johann Gottfried Hauer (John Godfrey Howard) Family Line

Rainie Edwin Howard  (1884-1957) Son of the Poor Orphan Boy
____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

I wonder if Rainie knew that he was named for his grandmother's maiden name, Raney. I'm guessing he probably did, because in the 1900 census, Rainie's father, Abraham Frank, listed his mother, Eliza Raney, as being born in Iowa. She wasn't; she was born in Indiana, but Abraham Frank was born in Iowa. His mother died shortly after that and just a few years later, his dad. He was then adopted and reared by his grandmother.

Many people give their children their mother's middle name. For example, our former Indiana governor, the late Robert Dunkerson Orr, was given his middle name, because that was his mom's maiden name. This is good news for us who work in genealogy, because it's very helpful in finding people.

In my father's research, he had reached a dead end when it came to "Frank Howard." That Frank was our Abraham Frank, Rainie's dad. I was only able to continue the family line because of the on-line tools we now have. My father had to do all his genealogical research without the use of the internet, so it's no wonder he got stuck where he did.

When I found Abraham Frank, I wasn't sure he was our guy. I try to be careful, although I still screw it up sometimes, but I didn't want to claim him until I was sure. When I saw, however, that he had named his son "Rainie," I let my guard down and added him to my tree. It makes sense that Frank's first name would be the same as his father, Abraham. And it would also make sense that Mary Ann would have taught her grandson about his mother, Eliza Jane Raney, so much so that he named his son Rainie.

Rainie Edwin Howard (Edwin is a family name as well) was born 24 Jun 1884 in Gaylor, Michigan, the third child for Abraham "Frank" and Nora Jane Moulton. That he was born in Gaylor makes no sense, as they lived in Clio, more than a 2-hour drive today. The place of birth is documented in his marriage registration, though, so I'm taking it as fact. Maybe they were passing through when Nora went into labor.

The first record I have of Rainie is the 1900 census. This census tells us that his mom, Nora, and his father, Abraham, had lost a child prior to that census, as it documented three births but only two living children. Abraham was a merchant. Rainie and his older sister, Maybelle, were "at school."

In 1901, the family got a scare as Abraham went out deer hunting and didn't come back. This is according to the Detroit Free Press dated 17 Nov 1901. Apparently a storm had come up quickly; he sought shelter inside a barn, got comfortable, and fell asleep. A huge rescue attempt was made, and he was found. In the article, he is branded as a "prominent merchant." Pretty cool.

In one of the gossip columns, it stated that A. F. Howard's wife and daughters (plural) were visiting Alma, Michigan. He only had one daughter, but so many times, the newspapers get it wrong. I looked at Maybelle's ancestry page. On further investigation, I found out that she was an accomplished musician. She was a graduate of Alma College, and she taught music in the public schools in Munising, Michigan. Many of the Howards were musically inclined, and Maybelle must have been an exceptional vocalist and pianist. After her marriage to Hugh McMillan in 1908, she gave piano lessons in her home.

Also occurring in 1908, Abraham, Nora, and Rainie moved from Munising to Owosso, Michigan. As far as I can tell, even though Maybelle was married in Owosso, she went back with her husband to Munising after the wedding. I'm unsure as to why the family moved to Owosso, but once there, they opened their business "Howard & Son, Undertakers." Rainie was 24. Their company was located inside the F. W. Pearce Furniture Store, 106 N. Washington Street.

Mortuary Science was in its infancy in 1908, but, according to the Gordon Funeral Residence web site, their founder, Glenn Gordon, in 1908, took special training and passed state boards in order to become an undertaker. Interestingly, this site also informed me that furniture stores at that time dealt with caskets. Click on photos to enlarge

From a 1908 Edition of the Owosso Times

Pearce's store at 106 N. Washington Street
Downtown Owosso, MI

Same sight, present day
Courtesy Google Maps, proper attribution given

In a 21 Apr 1908 newspaper, an unfortunate event for the family occurred. Rainie's sister Maybelle had just returned from her honeymoon, and a diamond starburst that her husband had given her for a wedding gift was stolen. I guarantee he paid good money for that piece. Other pieces stolen included a watch, chain, bracelet, and an undisclosed amount of money.

In a 24 Apr 1908 newspaper, The Owosso Times, it stated that Rainie and his father had secured the rights to to manufacture "national vaults." These vaults were air-proof and waterproof. The article listed not only Abraham as an "undertaker," but also Rainie. The vaults weighed 1,000 pounds, and they manufactured them in Owosso.

On 18 Nov 1908, Rainie married Lillian Grant, who went by "Lily." Lily was born 28 Sep 1885 to Peter Grant and Frances Josephine Britton. I was unable to find out how they met, but together, they had four children: Frances "Jane," Loraine, Rainie "Grant," and Frank Edwin.

In 1909, Rainie helped to organize the National Cooperative Burial Association in Owosso, a forerunner of today's preplanning insurance. The fee for members was to be less than ten cents per year. The average funeral at that time cost $100.

According to the Owosso Times, 12 May 1911, R. H. Howard was now Dr. Rainie Howard, as he had become one of those newfangled chiropractors, having studied at the Grand Rapids Chiropractic School. The profession was so new that Abraham himself lobbied the state lawmakers to allow it to be practiced in the state of Michigan. In this little newspaper article, we are told that Abraham and Rainie were in Mount Clements, Michigan looking for office space. Why Mount Clements? It is located about 30 miles northeast of Detroit and is today about 1-1/2 hour drive from Owosso. Rainie and family made the move in June of that year. It doesn't look like there was any "bad blood" in the family with this move. The newspapers sing of how many times they all visited each other. There may have been more opportunities for patients being closer to Detroit.

Rainie was registered as a "drugless practitioner," according to the Owosso Times, 21 Nov 1913. On his WWI draft card, he wrote in his own hand that his occupation was "registered drugless practitioner." As for his employer, and I love this, he wrote MYSELF. All caps. This draft card tells us that he was tall and stout with blue eyes and light hair. Of course he was.

Once in Mount Clements, Rainie purchased a home at 58 S. Highland. Pretty nice home. Someone has put a lot of work into it over the years.

The Rainie Howard home as is looks today
The blue one
Courtesy Google Maps with proper attribution given

Funnily enough, in the 1920 Federal Census for Mount Clements, Michigan, Rainie is listed as an agent for a steel company. I tried to find something out about that but with no luck as of now. Newspapers.com have no information on our Michigan Howards after around 1920. In the 1920 census, Lillian and the four kids were all there. The children were in school, with the exception of the youngest. Also in the 1920 census, Rainie's father, Abraham, was listed as a real estate agent in Owosso.

In 1925, Rainie's dad died. I couldn't find an obituary but Ancestry does provide the death certificate. He died of heart failure. On the death certificate, Rainie is the informant. He spelled his grandmother's last name the same as his first name, Rainie. That makes sense. Eliza Jane Raney's own husband probably didn't know how to spell Raney. Abraham's death certificate says "Detroit." However, on his Find-A-Grave Memorial, it is stated that Abraham died at Mount Chimbu, Papua, New Guinea. Was he trying to climb a mountain? I'm doubtful. I reached out to the person who posted this but have not heard back. On his death certificate, the doctor stated he had been suffering with this condition for 10 days, and that he had been attending him for several years. I'm not sure someone in the midst of heart failure would be a good candidate for a trip to New Guinea. And, because he died in Detroit and not at home in Owosso, it makes me believe he was staying with Rainie in nearby Mount Clemens, who took him to the hospital in Detroit.

In the 1930 United States Federal Census, Rainie, Nora and the kids were all still together at 58 S. Highland. Their oldest, Jane, is 20 and teaching in the public schools. Rainie is employed as a real estate agent. I wonder what happened to all the undertaking and chiropractic stuff. Maybe the undertaking was just something he did with his dad. Abraham was also a real estate agent in the end, and both men made good livings from this profession.

Rainie lost his mom 22 Sep 1937 in their home, actually. She had moved back to Munising from Owosso after Abraham died. I imagine her health started failing, and her son moved her into his home in Mount Clemens. Rainie's sister, Maybelle, died the next year in April, having been ill for about one year. She was only 54.

In the 1940 census, nothing has changed, except all the children are gone now save for the oldest, Jane. We see here that Rainie completed four years of college.

By the time we get to the 1950 census records, I feel like I know very little about Rainie. What colleges did he go to? We know Grand Rapids, but what else? Why did he move with his family to Mount Clemens, away from his parents? Did chiropractic work not suit him? He's 66 at the time of the census and still working 40 hours a week in the real estate office. I don't know much more than that. He died 15 Apr 1957 at the age of 72. Rainie's wife, Lily, lived all the way to 97. She died 13 Dec 1982 in Long Beach, California. I haven't done the research, but I have a feeling her daughter, Jane, was involved in her move to California.

I was thrilled to find Abraham Frank Howard and also thrilled that he lived a prosperous life. I wish, though, I knew more. My cousin, Greg, and I were talking about a trip to Michigan to do genealogical research. I want to. That's one reason I wanted an RV. And now I have one, a nice one, but I have nothing yet to pull it with so...

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

William B. Van Buren (1863-1943) Teamster

Johann Gottfried Hauer (John Godfrey Howard) Family Line

William B. Van Buren (1863-1843) Teamster
____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

William B. Van Buren. He's pretty far away from me in my family line; my 2nd cousin 3x removed. But I don't want to just research Howards, and Van Buren is a fine name. He has this name because his mother, Lydia "Catherine" Howard, sometimes spelled with a "K," married John Van Buren in or around 1850. Catherine was the granddaughter of our patriarch, my 4th great-grandfather, John Godfrey Howard. Click on photos to enlarge

Early Postcard of Warsaw, N.Y.
Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons, public domain

William B. Van Buren was born 12 Jun 1863 in Middlebury, New York. In the household besides his parents were sister Cynthia, brother Charles, and sister Olive. In the 1870 census, he is with his parents in Middlebury along with his brothers and sisters, Cynthia, Charles, Olive, and younger brother Frank, who was born in 1869. By the 1880 census, it was just William and his younger brother along with two cousins, Henry and Charles. These were Seth Howard's boys, who was Catherine's brother. I don't know why they're there, but Seth's entire family was disrupted in the 1880 census, and he's in Michigan with another woman at that time.

William went by "Willie" as a child, according to the census records, so we'll call him Will. He married his 2nd cousin, Flora Howard, in 1882. Her father was Jacob Howard, who was Will's grandfather. If that doesn't create a feedback loop in your family tree, I don't know what will. They were just 3 years apart in age. When they married, she was 15 and he was 18. No shame, no foul, though. The couple stayed in Warsaw, New York, close to Will's family. Flora, at the time of their marriage, had been living in Rochester with her mom, about an hour's drive away today.

The young couple had four children prior to the 1900 Warsaw, NY census: William, born 1883; Katherine, who went by "Kittie," born 1885; Raymond, born 1887; and Flora Macey, born 1891. In the 1900 census, the Van Buren's are all together, Will and wife Flora along with their four children. Also living with them at that time was Flora's sister, on this census listed as Alida Howard. Other sources have her name as Lida and Lydia. There is also a border, Martin Gell. Will's daughter, Kittie, married a Martin Gell. However, this Martin is 15 years her senior. He may have been an uncle, but I don't know, as I didn't research the Gells.

Kittie firstly married Clayton Parmenter in 1907. By the time of the 1910 Warsaw, NY Federal Census, Kittie was already widowed with two young children, Kenneth and Clayton. She and the boys were with her father and mother, Will and Flora, along with her three brothers.

Our subject, Will Howard, Sr., was listed as a teamster in this 1910 census, as would be done the rest of his working days. The eldest son, Will, Jr., was 27 and a machinist for "elevator works." Son Raymond was 22 and a painter at "elevator works." Their youngest, 18-year-old Flora, no doubt named after her mom, was a laundress who worked "in laundry." Their daughter, the newly widowed Kittie Parmenter, was 25. Her occupation was listed as "none," but with a 5-year-old (Kenneth) and a newborn, (Clayton), we all know what her occupation was. I do not know how her husband died, but the newborn Clayton was born after his father's death in 1909 and is named after his father. The elder Clayton Parmenter, Kittie's first husband, is buried with his parents in West Middlebury Cemetery in Middlebury, New York.

The next record is the New York State Census for 1915. It is interesting. Firstly, we have William listed as "head" and as a teamster. His wife was next. There's no different family numbers or house numbers, it's all smooshed together, so perhaps there were more people in that same home? Their son, William was next in line and was also listed as "head." He was still a machinist. His wife was on the next line, Margaret. After Margaret was Katherine Gell, who is listed as a boarder. This Katherine Gell is William's sister, Kittie. After her husband, Clayton Parmenter, died, she remarried Martin Gell 18 Dec 1911, in Ontario, Canada. And now, she was there, not with her husband, but with her brother. Kittie had four children by then, two with Mr. Parmenter and two with Mr. Gell. This census, however, incorrectly had Kenneth Clayton's last name as "Gell." Her two new babies are Stanley and Evelyn. I don't know what's going on with Kittie and Mr. Gell, but it could be as innocent as he was working somewhere out of the city at the time the enumerator came by.

After this, tragedy struck the Van Buren family. I don't know what it is like to lose a child, and I never want to know. The Van Buren family lost three of their four. Firstly Flora Macey died from gastritis, 03 Apr 1912. Will's son, his namesake, died 31 Jul 1917, and I don't know why. He may have lost his life in World War I. He was buried in Warsaw Cemetery. Then Kittie died 14 Oct 1919. Her obituary doesn't say why, just that she died at her parents home. How heartbroken Will and Flora must have been, and I'm certain they never got over any of this. 

In the 1920 census, Will and Flora were still in Warsaw with two of their grandchildren, Kenneth and Clayton Parmenter. The other two grandchildren were in Warsaw, too, but they lived with their father. Will and Flora's only living child, Raymond, was also in Warsaw, living with his wife and family.

In the 1925 New York State Census, Will and Flora are still making it. Will was 61 years old and was still working as a Teamster. Flora was 58. They have three grandchildren living with them now. Their oldest grandson, aged 20, has changed his name from Kenneth Parmenter to Kenneth Van Buren. It might be that his grandparents adopted him or that he changed his name in homage to them. He was a chauffeur! Next is 16-year-old Clayton Parmenter, who was named after his father. Notice that Clayton kept his correct last name. He was listed as a farmer. And surprise! Evelyn Gell, the 10-year-old daughter of Kittie and Martin (Matt) Gell was also living with her grandparents. 

Flora died 25 Feb 1929 at the age of 62, leaving Will all alone on the 1930 census. He wasn't really alone, as he lived with William and Linda Conkle as a "hired man" whose occupation was "none." William Conkle was a farm laborer on a general farm. Will's son, Raymond, was just a few pages away from his dad in this census, so he wasn't far. Raymond was a laborer at a "milk fonderry company."

And finally, sometime before 1935, Will moved in with son Raymond and his family. In the 1940 census, we learn that Will had an 8th grade education and his son, 7th. Raymond was a farmer at "operator," working on his own account. Good for Raymond! 

Will died 10 Mar 1943 at the Wyoming County Community Hospital.

I'm very disappointed Ancestry didn't have more records for the Van Buren family. It would be nice to have seen a better picture of their lives together. I'll keep checking in with the family from time to time to make sure no new information has been added.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

Mom's "Red Noodles" and Other Nonsense

Growing Up with a Preacher Man

Rev. William "Lester" Howard (1929-2021)
Mary Eulalie McLean Howard (1933-2021)

Mom's "Red Noodles" and Other Nonsense
____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard
This post was updated December 31, 2022

My mother hated to cook, and she didn't keep it a secret from anyone, either. For evening dinner, we had a seemingly rotating schedule of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Banquet Entrees, meatloaf, vegetable soup, ham and beans, and pot roast. They were always delicious, even if she did hate making them. Mom also hated Sundays. Everything about Sundays. Is it because she was married to a pastor? I'm not sure what it was about Sunday that she couldn't stand, but, after she started to work at the Monticello Day Care Center, she decided she was never again going to cook a Sunday evening meal. One Sunday evening, however, Mom cooked up a mess of macaroni, to which she added salt, butter and tomato sauce. It was delicious.

I quickly learned how to do this on my own, and I believe that was the final death knell for Sunday evening dinner. I'm not sure when I began doing a lot of my own cooking, but I was 11 years old when I started counting calories. I was an overweight child. My mom made fun of me for it yet continued to buy sugary sweets. We never suffered from not having a doughnut in the house. I started counting calories and working out in 6th grade, and it worked. I lost the weight. But eating right? No, not until much later in life. Mom didn't keep vegetables in the house aside from canned corn, green beans, peas, and carrots.

Funny how things are handed down from mother to daughter when you think about it, especially, I think, after your mom has passed. I made macaroni and tomato sauce for myself many times as a child and as an adult. And then, when my daughter was born, I started making them for her. In fact, it was she who coined the term "red noodles." Why we didn't call it "red macaroni," I don't know, except it doesn't roll off the tongue the way red noodles does. When my daughter was little, mom's red noodle recipe morphed into those little pasta wagon wheels or whatever pasta her granddaughter wanted that day.

Something else I learned, not from my mom but from the day care center cook, was "butter bread." This was two slices of white bread with margarine spread evenly from crust to crust on one of the slices. Then put on the other slice to make a sandwich and cut into quarters. My daughter called it "butter bread," another staple of my childhood and hers. Its okay, though. She has grown up to become a healthy veg-heavy private chef. The butter bread didn't do any lasting damage.

When I was growing up, we didn't have a microwave oven, as they hadn't been invented yet, but I loved TV dinners. The food was contained in an aluminum rectangle with dividers to keep everything separated, wrapped with foil on top. To heat the food, it had to be put into the oven. I eventually learned to make mashed potatoes for myself from a box and Banquet Foods came up with "boiling bags." Their Salisbury steak or turkey with dressing were packaged in plastic bags. The instructions were to drop the bag into boiling water for about 5 minutes. Couple that with boxed mashed potatoes and boom! Instant TV dinner! No vegetables needed! My pocket calorie counting book didn't come with nutrition info, by the way, just calorie information.

Something else I learned to do as a child, and I have no idea how, but perhaps from the Betty Crocker cookbook my mom had. I loved chipped corn beef on toast. And so I would make that for dinner sometimes - or lunch. Both my parents worked and I had to fend for myself quite a lot. After Food Network came onto the scene, I learned that what I was making was a roux. Fancy!

That's the thing about the Betty Crocker cookbook and the cooking shows on TV in the 1960s. They assumed you had already learned the basics of cooking from your mother. I hadn't. That I learned to make a roux as a child still boggles my mind to this day. I have also learned from that basic roux, I can make gravy and bechamel for mac-n-cheese! 

When I married my first husband, I decided I was going to cook every meal every day. As an example of my poor cooking, I would put pork chops covered in flour into cold oil. Then I would put a lid on the pan and slowly heat everything up until the "juices ran clear." The flour never stuck to the meat, and I am positive that they were awful. But my husband and I would eat everything I made.  Oh, he made fun of me mercilessly in front of his family, but he never complained at home. This was in the 1980s, and we still didn't have Food Network. I didn't realize that I just needed to learn some basics. Now I know how to properly dredge meat and that it needs to be put it into hot oil and no lid!!!

I didn't inherit my mother's gifts for art. She was very good with colors, I'm not. She was so talented in painting things; decorative art is what she called it. I can draw a stick figure pretty good. She knew exactly what items of clothing go together. I'm better at it now. I inherited very few of Mom's good qualities, but my daughter inherited them all. She can paint and draw and do all the things my Mom was talented with doing. She's fabulous with hair and make-up and clothes, just like my mom. She’s also great at sewing, again, just like Mom. But unlike Mom, my daughter loves to cook. She can make the most complicated dishes. She can Guy's Grocery Games anything that's in the kitchen. She can make pasta and biscuits and cornbread from scratch, from memory, and without measuring anything, and they are all to die for. She can get anyone to eat their vegetables.  And something else she's good at, too. She can make red noodles.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

Nelson Isaiah Howard (1843-1929)

 Johann Gottfried Hauer (John Godfrey Howard) Family Line

Nelson Isaiah Howard (1843-1929) A Really Nice Guy Who Knew What He Wanted
____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

Nelson Isaiah Howard was born 01 Feb 1843 in Middlebury, New York, a great-grandson of John Godfrey Howard, the Hessian soldier who came to the U.S. from Germany to fight in the Revolutionary War.  He was the second eldest to his parents Nelson Jacob Howard and Catherine Cornelia Mickel. 

The first census that Nelson appeared in is the 1850 census, when he was six years old. The family was still in Middlebury at this time. Nelson's father was a farmer and his real estate value was $1900. That's a pretty good number! The three oldest children, Phillip, 8; Nelson, 6; and Angenette, 5 had all attended school within the year. In 1860, however, the family was in Scioto Township, Jackson County, Ohio. Nelson's dad was still a farmer. His real estate was worth $1200 and his personal estate, $300. The eldest, Phillip, was a laborer. Neither Phillip or Nelson were in school, but this census does not have an occupation for Nelson. All the other children are in school, though, and everyone can read and write.

The Civil War soon broke out after this census, and Nelson enlisted 04 Aug 1862 as part of the 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Company L. He was a little late to the game, however, as this company's original muster date was 08 Oct 1861.  He would join his fellow soldiers at Alexandria, Virginia. As such, he would participate in 9 battles with his company, including the Battle of Gettysburg. Nelson, along with the entire company, mustered out 04 Jul 1865 in Columbus, Ohio. Later in Nelson's life, according to newspaper articles, his grandchildren would visit the sites of the battles where their grandfather had fought.

During his time in the Civil War, he lost a brother and sister - Emma Jane, 7, and William, 14. I checked every single person's Ancestry tree to see if I could possibly find a source for at least Emma's place of death. Every single person has her dying at Arvada, Colorado, and no one has any documentation for this available on Ancestry. Wikitree also has nothing. I checked all my newspaper sources and came up empty handed. Emma died 02 Apr 1863. Her brother died just two days later. According to Wikipedia, Arvada is the first place gold was found in the Rocky Mountain region. The Territory of Colorado was formed 28 Feb 1861.

I have failed to find marriage records for Nelson or his bride Frances Ellen Folin, except for the 1900 census which listed them as being married for 32 years. That puts their marriage year as 1868, the year their eldest, William Forrest, was born.

In the 1870 census, the couple are still in Ohio with their two children, William, 2, and Emily, 6 months. Nelson is listed as a farm laborer, something I'm sure he wasn't content with.  The value of his real estate is left blank, and his net worth is $100. He may have received housing as part of his compensation. This census shows him correctly as being born in New York. His wife and 2 children were all born in Ohio. I thought, at first, that perhaps Nelson worked on his father's farm. On double-checking, however, his father and mother are in Prairie Creek, Illinois in 1870. The value of his father's real estate is also blank, but his personal worth was $500.

By the time the couple's third son, Ovid Albert was born in 1872, Nelson and his wife were in Waterville, Kansas. This son soon died, unfortunately. Their next child was James Otto, who was born 18 Feb 1874. On the 1875 Kansas State Census, Nelson was still listed as a farm laborer with both real estate and personal property values left blank. His wife and three children were also with him as was another farm laborer, Leroy Field.

Finally, in the 1880 census, it looks like Nelson was on his way to the bigtime. He wasn't in Waterville anymore but 300 miles to the west in Grant County, Kansas. The census listed him as "farmer," not laborer or farm laborer. This census doesn't tell us whether he owned land or how much he was worth, though, so we can't be for sure just by looking at the record. His wife was with him, and his four children: William, Emma, James, and Harry. The oldest three were all in school. Harry was only 2. I think it's interesting that the census enumerator, when listing Ohio as the birthplace of everyone except Nelson, he simply put "O."

Nelson's parents and a sister, in the 1880 census, were no longer in Prairie Creek, Illinois, but now were in their son's old stomping ground of Waterville, Kansas! The checkmark notating sick is next to his dad's name. On this census page, 12 people are marked as sick. Their daughter, Nelson's sister, 32-year-old Frances was listed as "at home."

In the Clyde Herald newspaper dated 06 Jul 1892, it stated that Nelson had begun receiving a pension for $12 a month with $200 back pay. The article stated that he had to wait for it for quite a while, but in his good humor, he also stated that it came at a good time.

Our next document is the 1895 Kansas State Census, dated 01 March. In this census, Nelson is listed as a farmer, along with his wife and five of his eight living children: Harry, Oscar, Grace, Earl, and Herbert. And then heartbreak struck the family. Nelson accidentally turned a lamp over and burned his house down. Everything that was downstairs inside the house was saved but nothing from the second story. He did receive an insurance settlement for this from "The German Insurance Company," and he promptly built a new house.

 In 1897, Nelson's mom died. His father followed in 1899. His father's obit stated that he had "lived on the farm where he died 28 years." That means, Nelson's parents moved to Waterville in 1871, so that checks out. The senior Nelson's obit states that he was, "kind to his neighbors, honest in his dealings, and believed in a true and living God."

Back to Nelson, Jr., in the 1900 census, we get the answer we were looking for. Nelson owns his own farm. It's mortgaged, but its his. Along with Nelson is his wife, who has had 10 births with 8 living children. That is correct. Living with them are their sons, Harry, Oscar, Earl, and Herbert. The two older boys are listed as farm laborers. The younger two are listed "at school."

In the 1905 Kansas State Census, Nelson is now 62 and still owed on his mortgage for the farm. This census doesn't give us much information, basically a list of who lived in the home and their ages. In Nelson's home are his wife, who is now 59 and two of his sons, Earl, 19, and Herbert, 15.

In the 1910 Federal Census, Nelson is no longer in Grant County, Kansas, but in the city of Clyde, Kansas in Cloud County.  Listed with him are his wife and son, Herbert, along with his daughter-in-law, 19-year-old May. Nelson was a farmer on a "general farm" on his own account. No mortgage this time, but it states he "rented" his "house," not a farm. His son's occupation is that of a farmer on a farm. The Clyde Voice Republican newspaper gives us the reason for this confusing detail. Nelson and his family have moved from the farm! In the 24 Feb 1910 edition, the newspaper tells us that Nelson has moved to town and is renting a house! I'm wondering if they did this so that they could have electricity and/or telephone service. In listening to my great granduncle's interview, he talked about how much easier their lives were after getting electricity.

In the 1915 Kansas State Census, it is Nelson and his Frances, along with just their daughter-in-law, May, and her son Gerald. Herbert is not there and later documents list him as divorced. I haven't been able to find much out about May, but she continued to live with her father- and mother-in-law after her divorce. They are still in Clyde, and this census tells us that he owned his house free and clear.

In the last census record for Nelson in 1920, it is Nelson, 76, with his wife Frances, 72. His occupation is "none." May is gone, but their grandson Charles remained. He was 9. It would be Charles who would order Nelson's military stone after Nelson's death in 1929.

I was unsuccessful in finding an obit for Nelson Isaiah, but I peeked at my cousin Glenn's tree, and he appears to have been in pretty bad shape health-wise at the end with poor eyesight and hearing as well as pain. But his life was good. Newspaper articles show him visiting all manner of family, especially his son William Forrest, who lived in Pocatello, Idaho. It also showed all manner of family visiting him. He was generous, having once taken a bushel of corn to the newspaper editor's office and volunteering when others needed help. I also think it speaks volumes about a man who worked his way up to owning his own farm. He knew what he wanted, and he made it happen.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

Seth C. Howard, An "Intemps" from New York (1836-1908)

 Johann Gottfried Hauer (John Godfrey Howard) Family Line

Seth C, Howard (1836-1908)
____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

Seth Howard was a grandson of John Godfrey Howard, the Hessian soldier who came to the U.S. from Germany to fight in the Revolutionary War.  He was the son of Jacob Howard and Mary J. "Polly" Covell. The "C" in Seth's middle name might be Covell, but I am not certain. Seth is my 1st cousin, four times removed.

I became interested in Seth because of a document that Ancestry showed me, and that was the "New York Census of Inmates in Almshouses." Inmates did not mean prisoner. Patients were also called inmates at that time - just a blanket term for anyone housed in an institutional setting. Seth and his wife, Frances, both were institutionalized in The Genesee County Poorhouse.

Thinking of poorhouse, I think of the County Farm in Monticello, Indiana,  where I grew up in the 1960s-1970s. We didn't have a poorhouse, but we did have a County Farm that housed inmates. Two of those inmates - men - went to my dad's church, Bill Kretchmar picking them up every Sunday. They were an odd couple. It feels like one was tall and slender and the other shorter and portly. They were always in good spirits, though, so I didn't attach a negative connotation to the place where they lived. As I got older and more musically inclined, I began to accompany my father to Sunday afternoon services there so that I could play hymns for the "old folks" to sing.

Getting back to Seth Howard. He was born March, 1836 in Middlebury, New York in what was then Genesee County, now Wyoming County. The 1850 census was the first census that listed everyone by name, and in this census, 14-year-old Seth was with his parents and siblings in Middlebury. Also nearby were his aunt and uncle, as Seth's father was one of three brothers who made their way to Middlebury from Grafton, New York, in or around 1831. Seth's father, Jacob and his Uncle Elias settled in Middlebury. The other brother is my 3x great-grandfather, Abraham, who moved on to nearby Attica. On the 1950 census, the farm where Seth lived with his father was valued at $1200. Nice!

In the 1860 census, 24-year-old Seth was now married to 18-year-old Frances Peck. They had a 5-month-old daughter, who went by many names during her life, but in the end, she settled on "Ella." In this census, she was Eleda. Seth was correctly listed as a carpenter and his net worth was $75.

In the 1870 census, 33-year-old Seth was still married to 27-year-old Frances, as he would be the entirety of his life. His occupation was listed as wagon maker, also correct. He had done well in 10 years. His real estate was valued at $700 and his personal worth $300. Their eldest daughter on this census was listed as 10-year-old Alice M. who "attends school." Merritt, who was 8 years old also "attends school." Quite a jump from 8-year-old Merritt to the newborn, Carrie, who is one year old.

My dear cousin Glenn also obtained an entry from a business directory for 1870-1871. This directory listed Seth Howard as part of the firm "Cowley and Howard," who were blacksmiths and carriage makers. Cowley's first name was Covel.

The next census I have is the 1875 New York State Census. Everything looks fine here as well. Seth and the fam were in Warsaw. He was valued at $1800 and listed as a carpenter. Everyone is else is there, too: Frances, his wife, along with children Ella, listed this time as Alida, Merritt, Carrie, Henry, May, and Charles.

But here is where it gets interesting. The 1880 census tells an unusual story. What is going on here? Seth is still very much alive, but his family is all divided up. His wife, Frances, was listed with their son, Merritt, in Middlebury. He was head of household at the age of 19. His occupation: carpenter. Ella - listed as Alice - is in Warsaw with her new husband, Charles McClure.  Henry and Charles are with their aunt and uncle, Seth's sister Catherine and her husband, John Van Buren, in Warsaw. Their youngest, Ida, was with Seth's nephew George and his wife. I can't find their daughters, May or Carrie anywhere. Believe me it's not for a lack of trying.

If you use Family Search for the 1880 census records and put in Seth Howard with a birth year of 1836, you will get 9 entries for "Seth Howard." However, only one of those Seths match with ours, and it probably is our Seth Howard, who was living not in New York but in Davison, Michigan. This Seth was born in 1836 in New York, he used the "C" as his middle initial, and he was listed as a wagon maker, which is the correct occupation. He was living in the same household as 75-year-old John Golden, who was born in Ireland. But here - get this - he was listed as living with Carrie - and not his daughter, Carrie, who was born in 1869. This Carrie was born in or around 1856, is 20 years Seth's junior, AND she was listed as Seth's wife!!!!

I made a tree for John Golden, but it was futile, because I have so little information. Who was he? Was he Carrie's dad? How did all this come about?

The next record we have is the 1892 New York State Census. Seth was back with his true wife, Frances, but he is listed as a mechanic, not a carpenter or a blacksmith. However, being a wagon maker or a blacksmith would naturally transition to mechanic, so this is not a red flag by any means. Their 22-year-old son Peter was with them, listed as a carpenter. 

And then, very real tragedy struck as fire swept through Wyoming Village, taking many structures with it. Fires were a real threat as most buildings were all wood structures. Even if made of brick, the fire would still burn everything inside. Seth lost his house in this fire. Another man by the name of Cowley also lost his home. This might have been Seth's business partner. A church was lost, a cider mill, nine homes in all, and countless businesses. It must be something to be a victim of this type of tragedy. And one might think this was the start of Seth's true downfall if he had not built a post office in Warsaw, New York a year later.

On the 1900 census, Seth was with his wife in Warsaw. Everything here looks fine except for one detail. Frances states that she had 4 total births with only 2 living children. What is this? Seth and Frances had at least 4 living children at this time: Merritt, Ella, Henry, and Charles. I have found, in my research, that they had at least 7 children total. Knowing that this couple both ended up in the poorhouse, I'm wondering if a little dementia was settling in. Or maybe she or Seth were just mad at 2 of them, something like "you're dead to me" type of attitude.

The last little bit of info I have on Seth Howard before entering the poor house is a theft in 1903. He allegedly stole a bench vise from W. E. Evans. He was let out on his own recognizance, and Evans dropped the charges.

I've read a little bit about the newfangled poorhouses of the early 1900s. It was not pretty.  A huge social push was overtaking the country where reformers thought they could abolish poverty. New York had a huge bureaucratic hierarchy when it came to the poorhouse system. The thing most notable to me in my studies is that they were always trying to save money and cut corners and that everyone was lumped into the same system - those with mental illness, delinquents, and old folks. This was not going to work, and it didn't.

When entering into the poorhouse, the first thing that happened was that the inmate was stripped of their clothes, made to bathe in an antiseptic soap, and given a uniform. This intimate act of bathing was all done under watching eyes. If that didn't further affect someone's mental health, what else would? And we all know that bad, bad things happened in these dark, dreadful places.

A person wasn't just placed into a poorhouse, though. It had to be determined that they needed to be there. Things that determined this, for example, were begging in the streets or sleeping outside. In New York, a particular form was filled out for each inmate, called a census. On Seth's census, it states that he had been on "public relief" - where? "several places" and when? "about 10 years." It described his physical condition as helpless and the cause of his dependence on sickness. The one thing that really concerns me, though, is that his habits are marked as "intemps." This was an abbreviation for intemperance, meaning they thought he drank too much. Alcohol was indeed very much a problem in the U.S. at this time; however, alcohol was also given as medicine and apparently it wasn't hard to come by, even in the poor house. So, I'm not sure we can really surmise much if anything from this observation. But also, if he was sundowning, he could have very much acted like a drunk.

Unfortunately also for his wife, Frances, she was admitted to the poorhouse the very same day. Many times, the families were separated from each other and were punished if they were caught talking to each other. Her census stated that her health was "fairly good" but that she was "homeless and destitute." It stated that she had been on public relief for about 15 years. Doing my research, women were not often institutionalized in the poorhouse, because their children, while not feeling guilt for not taking care of their father, usually felt differently about their mother. But yet, here she is, living in the direst of places - a New York poorhouse in the early 1900s.

Seth died from a stroke 28 Sep 1908. He is listed on the Genesee County Home web site as having been an inmate there, he is not on the list of people who died there. Same goes for Frances, who died 29 Nov 1909 from stomach cancer. Her obit stated that she died at Ella's house and had 4 surviving children: Ella, Merritt, Henry, and Charles.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC